Alma the Elder

Alma the Elder (c 174-92 BC) was the first of two Almas in the Book of Mormon. He is the decendent of Nephi, and was a priest in the court of King Noah when he tried to have the prophet Abinadi released peacefully. Forced underground by threats against his life for his anti-government views, Alma wrote out Abinadi's teachings and shared them with others. He eventually gained 450 followers and founded a church, which met in a remote area called "Mormon." Believers called themselves the "church of God" or "church of Christ."